In Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits, Orlando Science Center aims to transport visitors into the world of gravity-defying sports for both thrills and, not incidentally, education. The 6,000-square-foot interactive exhibition will explore freediving, skateboarding, highlining, wingsuit flying, rock climbing and even sports that you may not have known existed—like parkour.
In parkour, which originated in France, athletes navigate their environment—say, a city—as efficiently as possible by running, jumping, rolling or climbing over or around obstacles. Are they crazy? Well, maybe a little, but they aren’t out to tempt fate, either.
That’s why Extreme Sports will introduce visitors to the psychology, physical fitness and technical proficiency that’s required to make such activities less risky. These athletes, potential craziness aside, are well trained, properly equipped and mentally disciplined.
The exhibition will progress through zones that tie science to the adrenaline rush from extreme sports and explore such natural environments as air and water that require an understanding of science to master. Interactive activities will include balancing on a highline, scaling a climbing wall, navigating a parkour course and piloting a wingsuit.
“Extreme sports capture our imagination because they push the limits of what people believe is possible,” says Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing for OSC. Visitors will also be introduced to athletes who practice these sports, the researchers who study them and the innovators who bring novel equipment to their adventurous excursions.
The exhibition was developed and produced by the Canadian nonprofit Science North in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre. One of the primary missions of Extreme Sports is to encourage self-discovery. Says Stanford: “This exhibit invites everyone to challenge themselves through hands-on experiences.”
